THE CHARACTERISTICS OF COLLEGE FRESHMEN IN NEED OF, AND RECEPTIVE TO, COUNSELING WAS STUDIED WITH THE STRUCTURED-OBJECTIVE RORSCHACH TEST (SORT) TO--(1) MODIFY THE SORT, (2) CLASSIFY SUBJECTS INTO COUNSELING AND NON-COUNSELING GROUPS, (3) DETERMINE IF THE SORT COULD DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN COUNSELING AND NON-COUNSELING SUBJECTS, AND (4) CONSTRUCT ADDITIONAL SORT DISCRIMINATIVE INDICES. THE SAMPLE TESTED OVER TWO YEARS INCLUDED FRESHMEN FROM THREE STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION WHICH DIFFERED IN STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS AND COUNSELING PHILOSOPHIES. THE CHOICE INTENSITY TECHNIQUE WAS FOUND TO BE RELIABLE AND ALSO APPEARED TO YIELD DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COUNSELING CATEGORIES. THE SORT APPEARED TO BE ABLE TO DISCRIMINATE TO SOME DEGREE BETWEEN STUDENTS WHO SEEK COUNSELING AND THOSE WHO DON'T. ONLY ONE FACTOR, M, WAS SIGNIFICANT OR INDICATIVE OF A TREND AT ALL THREE SCHOOLS. IT IS BELIEVED, HOWEVER, THAT DEFINITE TRENDS COULD BE ESTABLISHED OVER A LONGER TESTING PERIOD. THERE IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS ENCOURAGED AND/OR SUPPRESSED COUNSELING VISITS, LEADING TO DIFFERENCES IN THE COUNSELING CATEGORY FACTOR. HOWEVER, THE DISCRIMINATIVE VALUE OF THE SORT WAS DEMONSTRATED. (SK)